Each season is unique and offers different opportunities for your brand to reach out to your audience. Summer is a great time to organize fun contests that engage and excite your customers. Contests are not only a way to promote products or services but also help build brand awareness, increase social media following, and create buzz around your brand.
Here are the nine best fun summer contest ideas for your brand that will make your audience look forward to the summer season and keep them engaged with your brand.
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9 Best Fun Summer Contest Ideas for Your Brand
#1. Photo Contest
A photo contest is an engaging and interactive way to keep your consumers involved. In this contest, you can encourage customers to share their summer moments using your product or service.
For instance, ask your customers to share their best vacation photos if you are a travel agency. If you’re a food and beverage brand, invite customers to share creative pictures of summer barbecues or picnics featuring your products.
The contest can be arranged by utilizing your brand’s social media channels. Announce the contest through a post detailing the rules, duration, and the prize for the best photo. Use a unique hashtag linked to your brand for all participants, making tracking entries easier.
Remember to clearly state that participant photos may be used for promotional purposes, ensuring transparency and consent.
#2. Summer Giveaway
A summer giveaway contest can create excitement and a generous vibe around your brand like a winter giveaway. In this contest, you give free products or services to randomly chosen participants.
For instance, if you are a fashion brand, consider giving away a summer essentials package with sunglasses, hats, and lightweight clothing. If you’re a bookstore, perhaps a collection of the summer’s hottest reads could be your giveaway.
You could use social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook to run this giveaway. Begin by announcing the giveaway, clearly explaining the rules of participation, the giveaway duration, and the prize. A common rule is to ask followers to like the post, tag their friends, and follow your account.
#3. DIY Craft Challenge
Hosting a DIY craft challenge is a cool way to spark creativity among your audience! This kind of contest excites people to make crafts related to your brand or the summer season.
For instance, if you’re a home decor brand, you can encourage your followers to create summer-inspired home decor items. And if you’re a kid’s store, a fun summer craft challenge could be making homemade beach toys or outdoor games.
Ask participants to share photos or videos of their crafts on social media using a special hashtag representing your brand. Be sure to clearly explain the contest rules, submission deadline, and the awesome prize for the best craft. This challenge promotes your brand and gives your audience a fun and creative activity to enjoy during the summer.
#4. Caption Contest
A caption contest is a simple yet effective way to engage your audience and bring humor into your brand. This contest involves posting a photo on social media and asking followers to create the best caption.
For instance, if you are a fitness brand, post a photo of someone working out in an unconventional location and ask followers to create a funny caption. If you’re a pet store, post a cute photo of an animal and ask for witty captions related to summer.
Make sure to clearly announce the contest details and duration, including when the winner will be announced and what prize they will receive. This kind of contest is fun and encourages user-generated content that can be shared on your brand’s social media platforms.
#5. Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is an engaging and interactive competition that can be organized online and offline. This type of contest involves providing a list of items associated with your brand or the summer season, which participants must locate within a specified timeframe.
For example, if you represent an outdoor gear brand, you can challenge participants to find and capture items like a tent, sunscreen, or hiking boots. The list might include seasonal fruits, barbecue sauce, or ice cream cones if your brand is in the food industry.
To execute this contest, create a post outlining the list of items and provide clear rules for participation. Participants can submit their photos via direct messages or your brand’s unique hashtag. Consider offering a brand-related prize, such as a gift card or complimentary products, to the contest winner.
#6. Fitness Challenge
Summer is a great time for fitness challenges, and this kind of contest can easily be aligned with your brand if you’re in the health and wellness industry. It could involve challenges like completing a certain number of workouts within a given period or trying out a new exercise every day for a week.
Encourage followers to share their progress and results on social media using your brand’s hashtag, and offer a prize for the participant who shows the most dedication and improvement. This kind of contest promotes your brand and encourages healthy habits among your audience.
#7. Virtual Summer Camp
A virtual summer camp is a unique and fun way for your brand to connect with its audience. This kind of contest involves providing activities or challenges that participants can complete from the comfort of their homes.
For instance, if your brand is in the beauty industry, you could provide daily makeup tutorials or skincare routines for participants to try out. A food and beverage brand could offer cooking or cocktail-making classes, while a fashion brand could provide styling challenges and tips for summer outfits.
Create a schedule of activities and share it on your social media platforms. Encourage participants to share their experiences using your brand’s hashtag. You can also collaborate with influencers or experts in the industry to add more value to the virtual camp experience.
To know more about virtual summer camp, check out the below video content.
#8. Summer Playlist Challenge
A summer playlist challenge can be fun and creative to engage your audience through music. Ask followers to create a playlist of their favorite summer songs related to your brand or products.
For example, if you are a travel company, ask for songs that remind people of vacation destinations. If you’re a skincare brand, encourage followers to share songs about self-care and relaxation.
Let your followers know how to participate, the submission deadline, and the prize for the best playlist. This contest promotes your brand and allows you to discover new music and connect with your audience through a shared love for summer tunes.
#9. Fan Art Contest
A fan art contest perfectly showcases your brand’s creativity and engages with your audience. Ask followers to create original artwork inspired by your brand or summer themes, such as beach scenes or outdoor adventures.
Participants can submit their entries on social media using a designated hashtag, and you can repost or feature some of the best ones on your brand’s page. Consider offering a prize for the most creative and unique artwork to motivate participation.
Read also: Social media contest ideas
FAQs on Summer Contest Ideas
What is the best time to run the summer contest?
The best time to run a summer contest is typically during June, July, and August, when people enjoy their summer activities. However, you can also consider running contests in May or September to capture early and late summer audiences.
How long should a summer contest last?
The duration of a summer contest can vary depending on the type and complexity of the competition. Generally, running contests for at least two weeks is best to allow enough time for participation and promotion.
But, if the contest involves multiple challenges or activities, you can extend the duration to a month or more.
Read also: How long should a giveaway last?
What kind of prizes should I offer for a summer contest?
The prizes you offer for your summer contest should be relevant to your brand and appealing to your target audience. Consider offering products or services from your brand, such as gift cards, complimentary items, or exclusive discounts.
You can also partner with other brands to offer joint prizes and expand your reach. Plus, experiences like trips, outdoor adventures, or virtual classes can make exciting prizes for summer contests.
How should I promote my summer contest?
Promoting your summer contest is just as important as the competition itself. Utilize all your social media channels to create buzz and reach a wider audience. Collaborate with influencers or partner brands to expand your reach, and use hashtags related to summer or your brand to increase visibility.
Consider using paid ads or email marketing to promote your contest to a targeted audience.
How do I choose a winner for my summer contest?
There are several ways to choose a winner for your summer contest, depending on the type of competition. For voting-based contests, you can let your audience vote for their favorite entry through likes or comments.
Alternatively, a panel of judges can select the winner based on specific criteria. You can determine a winner for challenges or activities based on completion time, creativity, or improvement. Whatever method you choose, ensure it is fair and transparent to all participants.
Conclusion
Running a summer social media contest is an excellent way to increase brand awareness, engage with your audience, and create user-generated content.
From photo contests to fan art contests, there are endless possibilities for fun and creative summer-themed contests that align with your brand. Be sure to clearly communicate the rules and guidelines and offer exciting prizes to make your contest successful.
So why wait? Start planning your summer social media contest today and watch your brand’s engagement soar.
